I really hope these last couple of posts werent serious or their going to be some dead posters the first time someone tries to mug them. Throat shots, eyegouging, and acrobatic back flips will not save your life even IF they work without you failing miserably in the attempt; which is very likely due to adrenaline and opponent resistance.

Thanks for yuor email, but to clarify, my above post was intended as humourous. I don't really think it's a good plan, I think it is a very bad one, and my name is WADO woman, I typed WONDER woman as a joke.

It is great that you are thinking of taking up martial arts, but be prepared that you will not see anything in the class akin to the spiderman films you are such a big fan of.

I agree with you in that if faced with a threat against my loved ones, I would attack...but over a wallet with easily replacable contents...why take the chance.

In the scenario described, Sam gets headbutted as part of the bad guy's intimidation to get Sam to comply. The first thing to note here is that in this scenario, not only has Sam failed to be Aware of his surroundings and have left himself open to his attacker following him into the stall.

But in the scenario provided by DecietfulSwing...it isn't until after he hands over the money after being headbutted that Sam learns that his attacker has backup...and it could be argued that he learns this because he's chose to strike his Mugger...and that the backup might not have revealed himself if he'd just complied.

After handing over the wallet Sam sadly picked a poor target. I might have selected a kick to the shin so that as he bent over he'd be set for a nice knee to the chin.

This scenario reminds me of an incident that really did occur a few years ago. My friend Adalberto was coming to California to visit and train for a few weeks from Puerto Rico. Prior to his trip, their had been a series of muggings where good martial artists had been either killed or injured.

On the night before Adalberto's flight, after leaving a bar, he was approached on the street by a man who demanded his money. Adalberto side stepped him and kept walking.

The surprised individual drew a gun and came after him. Adalberto gaged the distance of the individual, and the position with which he was holding the gun.

While the individual was within the range with which Adalberto had practised gun disarms. Remembering that other Martial Artists had recently been injured or killed in muggings recently...Adalberto did what his contemporaries hadn't. He looked around to see if his Mugger was alone & discovered that he wasn't. If he had struck he'd have been shot by this guys backup.

Adalberto gave them the money, he's a 4th Degree in Shorenji Ryu & a 4th Degree in Jujutsu. Yes as someone stated in a post...if you give them the money they may still attack...and they might not.

Had Adalberto attacked the Mugger instead of checking to see if the guy had any backup he would have been shot in the back and his wife & 3 children could have lost him. By complying he kept his life & as Sharon pointed out...replaced his money.

Adalberto's failing was being out late, and selecting a car in the wrong part of town, dressing nice to make him standout...and then having parked so far away from the bar that he stood out as he left and began walking several blocks to where he left it. It was his rank that let him do so...as he told himself that he could handle anyone if someone tried something. Instead of protecting him...these actions are what led to the Muggers selecting him as a target.

well if i were int his position and i had just punch the guy and realized there was an acoplise...i would most likely do the first thing that came to my mind...(not being a strategic thinker) i would run like hell.. after i had hit the man i would push him out of the stall..and just run like hell...if there were a guy in the way it would have been football season..even for a little guy like me.. some person running out of stall ...and right into the watcher (guy who checks for witnesses) he would most likly be looking around..and boom out the door...afer that there would be no way these men could catch me...simple as that ...lol unless he pulled out a gun and shot me in the back..which would **** ...

Sam is really a suicide bomber and was in the process of priming his bomb when the mugger walked in, the dillema for sam is not if he should hand over his wallet but if he should change his plan and blow up the mens toilets along with the unfortunate mugger and his accomplice! :-) "Purely hypothetical of course"

With 3 people inside the stalls there aint going to be much room. The two attackers probably wont be able to stand side by side therefore if SAM is by the toilet he will probably have a column of two attackers to deal with. This is easier that one either side, SAM only has to worry about one attacker at a time. I would take out the first attacker with a hand strike depending on how he falls I would either go straight for the second attacker or use attacker no 1 as a shield.

In the situation you described only. I would kick or hit #1 again. Then since #2 is standing on the tolite seat (I had to read it again to make sure Sam wasn't on the seat)I'd probably reach up and pull him dowm onto the tolite in my stall (head first I'd hope) then grab #1 and pivot/throw him into #2 then run like hell.

As to in general - If I was in no preceived danger I would NOT hit first. In court all his lawyer would need to do is have him say "all I did was ask him for his money then he attacked me." You either have to admit this is what happened or purjure yourself in court.

go low on the guy standing in the door(shoot for the legs for example) to take him to the ground and stay low enough not to get grabbed by the other guy, this should be fairly easy since you just punched him in the face. Then if he hasn't grabbed you, you should attempt to get out of the bathroom or at least in a more open space with a wall to your back and your attackers in front of you. If he has then you should go for the groin and get up. Reaper